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Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews

Atkins / May Project Empire of Destruction Review by Gary Hill The third album from this outfit, this is quite strong. I’d have to say that for me personally, the previous disc was better. This one is solid, though. There are some exceptional tunes and nothing that’s bad. I do have to mention some technical problems, though. In the past I’ve noted some liner notes issues with Gonzo Media releases. Well, with this one I have some bigger problems. For starters, my CD won’t play on some of the drives that I used to try it. The last two tracks are unplayable in any of my drives. I managed to get digital copies of those songs to get this review done. Also, there is a bonus DVD included, but I tried four different drives and couldn’t get that to play in any of them. So, I can’t comment on that part of this package. It might be because my copy is an advance promotional copy. It might be a more widespread issue. I really don’t know. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2014 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

A World at War There is a dramatic introduction that gives way to some pounding, powerful heavy metal. This is very much an epic metal styled piece, with the emphasis on the metal end of that equation. I love the vocal hooks and the guitar soloing. It’s a real stomper. The closing bit is dramatic and very potent.

The Midas Touch Ferocious metal that even makes me think of Dream Theater a bit opens this. The cut moves forward in a rather thrashy way. It’s a real powerhouse.

Here Comes the Rain More of a power ballad, this is quite proggy in a lot of ways. It’s also very classy. It does get quite heavy as it continues.

Darkness Within There is a killer driving rhythm section to this. The cut is metal, but much more of a modern metal in texture. It’s a cool cut that’s a real change. It’s also a real surprise. I like it a lot.

Reckless Child This is more of a straightahead metal tune. In fact, in a lot of ways it makes me think of something Judas Priest would do. It’s a screamer and one of the best pieces here. I love it.

Paranoia There is no question this is metal. It’s a very modern sounding piece in a lot of ways. It has a lot of energy and oomph. It isn’t my favorite cut here, but it works pretty well.

Are You Ready Here we get a straight ahead rocking tune. This is solid and fun. It’s just not all that special, really.

Dog Eat Dog Classic metal in texture, this is a great tune. It’s high energy and has a lot of style.

Whisper to the Wind This is arguably the best track here. It’s the most diverse. It starts with a dramatic and powerful ballad-like movement. That section holds it for a while with some great vocal work and tasty musical arrangements. It powers out into a rather progressive metal like movement for the more powered up section. This is just so cool. It’s also an epic length piece, landing at over twelve and a half minutes. It’s epic in scope, too, conveying a whole universe of sounds in one cohesive and coherent track. This is mellow through a lot of its time, but it also rocks out really well. It has some of the meatiest melodic metal guitar soloing of the whole disc. This one is worth the price of admission all by itself.

End of the Earth A bonus track, this starts off with mellow atmospherics that hint at a harder rocking sound. Then it fires out into some scorching metal. This is another that feels like it could be a Judas Priest song in a lot of ways. There is almost a Jimi Hendrix element to it, too. The female vocals mid-track (I can’t find any credit to tell me who it is) add a lot to the piece. It’s a really strong number for a bonus track, though.

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